In this second article in the series on the "miracle" and the "mind, inch we are going to continue our discussion of spiritual specialness as someone being chosen by God to do His work without recognizing it is really the ego. In A Course in Miracles (ACIM), many link being a Course teacher of God with being miracle-minded just as we see in many beliefs with chosen spiritual leaders such as a pastors, ministers and priests, etc. In the first article on spiritual specialness, we incorporated a quote by Kenneth Wapnick that, "Love is quiet and need not make assertions. inch Being someone chosen by God to do "god's work" is an affirmation of the ego; and it makes the error real. It is a defense against God's Love whereby we don't observe that we're actually competing with God (and thus everyone). Mr. Wapnick also has some wonderful articles that get straight to the point on this matter. These are extracted from his two-book set on, "The Message Of a Course In Miracles" which is filled with what the Course does and does not say. These quotes speak for themselves , nor need reinterpretation: Spiritual specialness refers to people acting out their egos' specialness, but disguising it as spiritual dress. This frequently comes in the form of assuming they may have received "special" instructions, "special" prefers, or "special" commissions from "special" divine persons such as Jesus or the Holy Spirit, all of which serves to make these people spiritually not the same as others and therefore more "special" (Few Choose to Listen, p. 141). What we are calling "spiritual specialness" appears in the members of almost all spiritual or spiritual movements. This usually comes in the form of assuming that the group or members have been singled out by God or the Holy Spirit to perform some holy function that will benefit the human race and contribute towards the saving of the world. However, such built-in specialness is clearly false with the teachings of a Course in Miracles (Few Choose to Listen, p. 144). Specialness is also seen in a number of other styles beyond the labels just mentioned. For example, claiming who we "share the stage" with, i. e., other Course teachers is the same spotlight error. We do all of this because of our enormous repressed fear and guiltiness; and we do it instead of learning and practicing the Course. This is a course on sameness and one that displays kindness: This inability to truly practice An application in Miracles' kind principles of forgiveness that they study, and occasionally teach, has perhaps been the most serious failing among its students. This book's sequel, "Few Choose to Listen, inch discusses how students often obscure their thought system of specialness under the guise of spiritual counseling or friendship. The absence of simple kindness is, unfortunately, unmistakable to everyone except the Course student making the spiritual pronouncements (All Are Called, p. 306). Finally to finish setting the stage (pun intended) for this brief article, let's bring in what Wapnick addresses on arrogance versus humbleness: "Arrogance takes the form of assuming that one has "mastered" the Course by a simple reading or two, without really recognizing what is involved in its ongoing study and constant practice. Humbleness, on the other hand, tries just to learn, which comes from students' recognition of how dependent on their egos they have truly made themselves to be. They therefore become pleased for the opportunity the Course offers them to let go -- finally and truly -- of their investment in uniqueness, self-importance, and specialness, the core of the problem that maintains the splitting up from God" (Few Choose to Listen, p. 84, underline mine). Humbleness is of the right mind, which understands its dependence on God, while arrogance is of the wrong mind, which feels it is in competition with Him (Glossary-index, p. 106). Therefore, if we have to be truly miracle-minded, then we must be happy to explore exactly what the ego is and what its thought system is capable of doing. The Course emphatically states that nothing can remain hidden. We must be happy to get our hands dirty with the ego if we are to learn true forgiveness since specialness in a form ties in so directly with maintaining the splitting up from God. Teacher of God Specialness is clearly arrogance and being in competition with God, so a teacher of God has nothing regarding being a Course teacher even though many students believe otherwise. Looking at our arrogance in making this affirmation, we turn back to humbleness to explain to us so we can study from it: Humbleness, on the other hand, would have students observe that An application in Miracles is "unlike" any other spirituality they have seen, and therefore what is required of them is the openness to being trained by "it, inch rather than "their" subconscious teaching the Course what it is saying (Few Choose to Listen, p. 90, underline mine). In ACIM, a teacher of God is simply anyone who prefers the Course as their path. That's it! There's no arrogance, no judgment and thus no one differs from the others or special. We are the same in ego wrong mind, the same in Holy Spirit right-mind and the same capacity to select from them. Means have reached peace from choosing miracle-mindedness or the right-miracle-mind whereby His Vision sees sameness in everyone. Unhealed Healers In the Course, this is of an "unhealed healer" is someone trying to give what he's not received. In other words, this states the fine line between the humbleness of learning and arrogantly teaching what we don't know. Remember, a complicated teacher of God is utterly established by God and has resolved the "authority issue. inch This person knows that God is the author of their existence and never gets confused. Very few have reached this advanced stage. Unhealed healers are, "Arrogant, selfish, unconcerned and actually unethical (P-3. II. 3). inch Through specialness, they wanting to invent a function, i. e., a chosen Course teacher of God (for example) when they cannot even accept the function God gave them (and don't know what that really means either). By assuming in their invented function, they suspect those they want to falsely teach of the same treachery -- betrayal of God -- which instinctively feel they've done. Thus, they end up approaching enrollees and teaching (and so will learn) the ego's forgiveness-to-destroy. Contrast that with how simple the Course is: Our only function through the dream holds true forgiveness (correcting the mind). By no means is it easy; but it will do to achieve the readiness to learn it -- a little and then a lot of readiness. The Course is individual study and practice; and while messages come through forms, the "form" of the Course is sufficient. We are to only look with the Holy Spirit as our guide in learning how to "know ourselves" and thus eventually resolve the authority issue (author in our existence) by undoing the ego which opens us from dependence on it. Eventually, we realize how "freeing" it actually is to be dependent on God and what a huge burden specialness has really been: This system offers a very direct and a very simple learning situation, and the Guide Who lets you know what to do. If you do it, you will see that it works. Its results are more convincing than its words. They will encourage you that the words are true. By following the right Guide, you will learn the simplest of all lessons: By their fruits ye will know them, and they will know themselves (T-9. V. 9). Again, we must remember than no one falls this path of unkindness, spiritual specialness or being one of the chosen ones unless they are so overwhelmed with repressed guiltiness and fear and must project out the guiltiness onto others as their disciples, enrollees or those they have been "guided" by the ego god to help. The chosen ones as unhealed healers wanting to do what they cannot even do for themselves. They have not yet worked with the Course long enough to understand experientially that: There is no life outside of Heaven... Outside of Heaven, only the conflict of illusions stands... perceived as an endless barrier to Heaven. Illusions are but forms. Their content is never true (T-23. II. 19). inch a course in miracles Additionally, the Course teaches us that: "Miracle-minded forgiveness is the only a static correction because it has no element of judgment at all (T-2. V. A, underline mine). Wholeness is the perception content of miracles. Thus they correct, or atone for, the flawed perception of lack (T-1. I. 41). Unlike specialness which believes answer lies in taking from others in a world of chaos that is filled with lack, learning how to eliminate first is what leads us to true answer and miracle-mindedness. In this way, we are not only kind to others, but kind and gentle with ourselves. True forgiveness is saying you would have nothing, no idols -- nothing of the ego -- before God's Love.